Trumpet sounds a parley. Enter, on the walls, the General of the French Forces, and others.

English John Talbot, captains, calls you forth,
Servant in arms to Harry King of England;
And thus he would :—Open your city-gates;
Be humble to us; call my sov'reign yours,
And do him homage as obedient subjects;
And I'll withdraw me and my bloody power:
But, if you frown upon this proffer'd peace,
You tempt the fury of my three attendants,
Lean famine, quart'ring steel, and climbing fire;
Who, in a moment, even with the earth
Shall lay your stately and air-braving towers,
If you forsake the offer of their love,15

Gen. Thou ominous and fearful owl of death,
Our nation's terror, and their bloody scourge!
The period of thy tyranny approacheth.
On us thou canst not enter but by death;
For, I protest, we are well fortified,

And strong enough to issue out and fight:
If thou retire, the Dauphin, well appointed,
Stands with the snares of war to tangle thee":
On either hand thee there are squadrons pitch'd,
To wall thee from the liberty of flight;
And no way canst thou turn thee for redress,
But death doth front thee with apparent spoil,
And pale destruction meets thee in the face.
Ten thousand French have ta'en the sacrament,
To rive their dangerous artillery

Upon 16 no Christian soul but English Talbot.
Lo, there thou stand'st, a breathing valiant man,
Of an invincible unconquer'd spirit!
This is the latest glory of thy praise,

That I, thy enemy, 'due thee withal; 17

For ere the glass, that now begins to run,
Finish the process of his sandy hour,
These eyes, that see thee now well-colourèd,
Shall see thee wither'd, bloody, pale, and dead.
[Drum afar off.
Hark! hark! the Dauphin's drum, a warning bell,
Sings heavy music to thy timorous soul;

15. The offer of their love. Hanmer changed "their" to our' here; but although "their" has the effect of relating to "famine," "steel," and "fire," yet inasmuch as Shakespeare occasionally uses a pronoun in reference to a not immediately preceding antecedent and to an implied particular, we leave the original word "their;" taking "their love to relate to the king's and Talbot's own "proffered peace."

16. To rive their dangerous artillery upon, &c. Shakespeare uses the word "rive" for 'rend,' or 'burst; therefore, here, "rive" may be employed to express 'send burstingly or rendingly forth;' and though the phrase 'to rive artillery upon' may be awkward, it is not more awkward than the one in the previous scene-" digest your angry choler on your enemies." And yet no editor has objected to that sentence; whereas, Johnson says he does not understand the phrase to rive artillery.'

17. Due thee withal. The Folio prints dew' here for "'due" The original word was probably meant as an old form of "due" or 'endue,' to 'deck,' 'grace,' or 'adorn;' but it

And mine shall ring thy dire departure out.

[Exeunt GENERAL, &c., from the walls. Tal. He fables not; I hear the enemy :Out, some light horsemen, and peruse 18 their wings.

Oh, negligent and heedless discipline.
How are we park'd and bounded in a pale,—
A little herd of England's timorous deer,
Maz'd with a yelping kennel of French curs!
If we be English deer, be, then, in blood;19
Not rascal-like,20 to fall down with a pinch,
But rather, moody-mad and desperate stags,
Turn on the bloody hounds with heads of steel,21
And make the cowards stand aloof at bay :
Sell every man his life as dear as mine,
And they shall find dear deer of us, my friends.-
God and Saint George, Talbot and England's right,
Prosper our colours in this dangerous fight!

[Exeunt.

SCENE III.-Plains in GASCONY. Enter YORK, with forces; to him a Messenger. York. Are not the speedy scouts return'd again, That dogg'd the mighty army of the Dauphin? Mess. They are return'd, my lord; and give it out That he is march'd to Bourdeaux with his power, To fight with Talbot: as he march'd along, By your espials 22 were discovered

Two mightier troops than that the Dauphin led; Which join'd with him, and made their march for

Bourdeaux.

York. A plague upon that villain Somerset, That thus delays my promised supply

Of horsemen, that were levied for this siege!
Renowned Talbot doth expect my aid;
And I am louted by a traitor villain,23
And cannot help the noble chevalier:
God comfort him in this necessity!
If he miscarry, farewell wars in France.

might include the figurative sense of 'sprinkle as with dew,' and even also the sense of 'conferring that which is due.'

18. Peruse. Here used for scan,' 'reconnoitre.' See Note 82, Act ii., "All's Well."

19. Be, then, in blood. "In blood" is a hunting term; meaning in full vigour,' 'in good condition,' 'full of courage.' See Note 27, Act iv., "Love's Labour's Lost."

20. Not rascal-like. A 'rascal' deer was a term of the chase to express a lean deer, a deer out of condition.

21. Heads of steel. Used for the soldiers' lances, with figurative allusion to the deer's antlers.

22. Espials. See Note 63, Act i.

23. I am louted by a traitor villain. "Louted" means treated as a lout, a boor, a low fellow; and left unaided, with as little ceremony as a low-born hind would be. It should be borne in mind that Somerset, when York was simply Richard Plantagenet, said-"We grace the yeoman by conversing with him;" and this contumelious treatment is now rankling in York's mind.

VOL. II.

134

Enter Sir WILLIAM LUCY.

Lucy.

SCENE IV.-Other Plains of GASCONY.

strength,

Never so needful on the earth of France,

Spur to the rescue of the noble Talbot,
Who now is girdled with a waist of iron,
And hemm'd about with grim destruction:
To Bourdeaux, warlike duke! to Bourdeaux, York!
Else, farewell Talbot, France, and England's

honour.

York. Oh, would that Somerset,-who in proud

heart

Doth stop my cornets,4-were in Talbot's place!
So should we save a valiant gentleman,
By forfeiting a traitor and a coward.

Mad ire, and wrathful fury, make me weep,
That thus we die, while remiss traitors sleep.
Lucy. Oh, send some succour to the distress'd
lord!

York. He dies, we lose; I break my warlike word;

We mourn, France smiles; we lose, they daily get; All 'long of this vile traitor Somerset.

Lucy. Then God take mercy on brave Talbot's

soul;

And on his son young John, who two hours since
I met in travel toward his warlike father!
This seven years did not Talbot see his son;
And now they meet where both their lives are done.
York. Alas, what joy shall noble Talbot have
To bid his young son welcome to his grave?
Away! vexation almost stops my breath,
That sunder'd friends greet in the hour of death.—
Lucy, farewell: no more my fortune can,
But curse the cause I cannot aid 25 the man.-
Maine, Blois, Poictiers, and Tours, are won away,
'Long all of Somerset and his delay.

[Exit with Forces.
Lucy. Thus, while the vulture of sedition
Feeds in the bosom of such great commanders,
Sleeping neglection doth betray to loss
The conquest of our scarce-cold conqueror,
That ever-living man of memory,

Henry the Fifth :-whiles they each other cross, Lives, honours, lands, and all, hurry to loss. [Exit.

24. Cornets. "Cornet," now used only for the officer bearing the standard of a troop, but formerly used for the troop itself, meant a company of horse soldiers.

25. Curse the cause I cannot aid. Elliptically expressed 'why' being understood between " cause" and "I:" the whole line meaning 'but curse the cause of my being unable to aid the man.' 26. Be buckled with. 'Be engaged with,' 'come to an encounter with.' See Note 35, Act i. 27. Bought and sold. A proverbial phrase, meaning 'deceived,' betrayed;' 'lost by treachery.' See Note 33, Act v., "King John "

28. Legions. The Folio misprints 'regions' for "legions."

Rowe's correction.

TALBOT'S with him.

Som. It is too late; I cannot send them now: This expedition was by York and Talbot Too rashly plotted; all our general force Might with a sally of the very town Be buckled with :26 the over-daring Talbot Hath sullied all his gloss of former honour By this unheedful, desperate, wild adventure: York set him on to fight and die in shame, That, Talbot dead, great York might bear the name. Off. Here is Sir William Lucy, who with me Set from our o'er-match'd forces forth for aid.

Som.

Enter Sir WILLIAM LUCY.

How now, Sir William! whither were you sent ?

Lucy. Whither, my lord? from bought and sold 27 Lord Talbot;

Who, ring'd about with bold adversity,
Cries out for noble York and Somerset,
To beat assailing death from his weak legions:28
And whiles the honourable captain there
Drops bloody sweat from his war-wearied limbs,
And, in advantage lingering,29 looks for rescue,
You, his false hopes, the trust of England's honour,
Keep off aloof with worthless emulation.30
Let not your private discord keep away
The levied succours that should lend him aid,
While he, renownèd noble gentleman,

Yields up his life unto a world of odds :
Orleans the Bastard, Charles, and Burgundy,
Alençon, Reignier, compass him about,
And Talbot perisheth by your default.

Som. York set him on, York should have sent him aid.

Lucy. And York as fast upon your grace exclaims;

Swearing that you withhold his levied host.1
Collected for this expedition.

Som. York lies; he might have sent and had the horse: 32

I owe him little duty, and less love;
And take foul scorn to fawn on him by sending.

29. In advantage lingering. This probably refers to the desperate resistance made by Talbot and his handful of devoted followers, whom he has exhorted to "make the cowards stand aloof at bay;" which keeps him "lingering" in temporary "advantage" while he "looks for rescue."

30. Worthless emulation. Here used for unworthy rivalry.' 31. His levied host. Hanmer changed "host" (spelt 'hoast' in the Folio to horse' here. A plausible alteration, considering Somerset's reply: but these "horse" probably formed part of the "host" here mentioned; and, just before, we have "the levied succours."

32. Horse. An old form of horses,' or 'horsemen.' Note 3, Act ii., "First Part Henry IV."

Sce

SCENE V.-The English Camp near
BOURDEAUX.

Enter TALBOT and JOHN his son.

Tal. Oh, young John Talbot! I did send for thee To tutor thee in stratagems of war, That Talbot's name might be in thee reviv'd When sapless age and weak unable limbs Should bring thy father to his drooping chair. But,--oh, malignant and ill-boding stars!— Now thou art come unto a feast of death, A terrible and unavoided 33 danger: Therefore, dear boy, mount on my swiftest horse; And I'll direct thee how thou shalt escape By sudden flight: come, dally not, be gone. John. Is my name Talbot? and am I your son? And shall I fly? Oh, if you love my mother, Dishonour not her honourable name, To make a bastard and a slave of me! The world will say, he is not Talbot's blood, That basely fled when noble Talbot stood.

Tal. Fly, to revenge my death, if I be slain. John. He that flies so will ne'er return again. Tal. If we both stay, we both are sure to die. John. Then let me stay; and, father, do you fly: Your loss is great, so your regard 4 should be; My worth unknown, no loss is known in mc. Upon my death the French can little boast; In yours they will, in you all hopes are lost. Flight cannot stain the honour you have wen; But mine it will, that no exploit have done: You fled for vantage, every one will swear; But, if I bow,35 they'll say it was for fear. There is no hope that ever I will stay,

33. Unavoided. Here used for unavoidable.' See Note 43, Act ii.. **Richard II."

4. Regard. Here used to express 'regard for life,'' care for safety.

15. If I bow. "Bow" is here used for 'bend,'' stoop,' 'give way,''yield;' and Shakespeare uses it in this sense in "King Lear," Act iii., sc. 6, where Edgar says-"that which makes me bend, makes the king bow."

Here, on my knee, I beg mortality,
Rather than life preserv'd with infamy.

Tal. Shall all thy mother's hopes lie in one

tomb?

John. Ay, rather than I'll shame my mother's womb.

Tal. Upon my blessing, I command thee go.
John. To fight I will, but not to fly the foc.
Tal. Part of thy father may be sav'd in thee.
John. No part of him but will be shame in me.
Tal. Thou never hadst renown, nor canst not
lose it.

John. Yes, your renowned name: shall flight abuse it?

Tal. Thy father's charge shall clear thee from that stain.

John. You cannot witness for me, being slain. If death be so apparent,36 then both fly.

Tal. And leave my followers here, to fight and

die?

My age was never tainted with such shame.
John. And shall my youth be guilty of such
blame?

No more can I be sever'd from your side,
Than can yourself yourself in twain divide :
Stay, go, do what you will, the like do I ;
For live I will not, if my father die.

Tal. Then here I take my leave of thee, fair son,
Born to eclipse thy life 37 this afternoon.
Come, side by side together live and die;
And soul with soul from France to heaven fly.
[Excunt.